Somebody to Love
by Tori of Lorien
Summary: We are not bound by blood, Jackie, but our bond runs deeper. We're brothers. When Jack tries to hide things about what happens to him at his new school, Bobby, Jerry, and Angel swear to get to the bottom of it to protect their youngest brother.
1. Chapter 1

**Somebody to Love**

**Summary**: "We are not bound by blood, Jackie, but our bond runs deeper. We're brothers." When Jack tries to hide things about what happens to him at his new school, Bobby, Jerry, and Angel swear to get to the bottom of it to protect their little brother.

**Disclaimer**: As usual, I don't own any of the characters from Four Brothers. I may love them, but they're not mine!

**A/N**: Hey, everyone! Here's the start of the second transition story from "Fortune Cookie" to "A Night Alone". This was originally going to be a one-shot, but it kinda got too long, so I had to divide it up. It'll kinda be like a song fic, but not exactly. Hope you like it! Oh, and another note. I'm going to go see David Copperfield LIVE tomorrow night, so I'm going to be busy! For those of you that don't know, he's the illusionist that made the Statue of Liberty "disappear" on live television. It's going to be awesome! And a special shout-out to HaloFin17 for adding a special gift to my 16th birthday. Luv ya! Halo, this chapter's for you! It's going to be like one of those thank you cards that people send out when you get a gift, and this is the best way that I know how to thank you! Anyway, hope you enjoy the first chapter.

"When the truth is found

To be lies.

All of the joy

Within you dies…"

"Come on, Jackie. Wake up! Time for school."

Jack slowly opened his eyes and blinked against the sunlight, seeing that Evelyn was standing next to his bed. She smiled when she saw that he was awake. "Up and at 'em, Jackie!" she said, ruffling his hair as he sat up.

"Do I really have to go, Mom?" Jack asked as he slowly climbed out of bed. "This school sounds really weird…"

"Of course you have to go, honey." Evelyn answered, opening the blinds in his room and throwing sunlight into it. "I know you're nervous because it's your first day, but Bobby, Angel, and Jeremiah will be there with you. I don't know many people who are that lucky!"

Jack sighed as he squinted against the bright light. Evelyn had finally been able to register him into a school, but it hadn't been the normal elementary school that she had wanted him to attend. Instead, the only school that she was able to get him into was one that ran from kindergarten all the way through high school. Having his three older brothers as well was the positive of the whole thing he supposed…

Evelyn smiled at him. "It'll be fine, Jackie." she said reassuringly. "You'll see." Then, she left the room so that he could get dressed.

Twenty minutes later, the four brothers were eating a quick breakfast of toast and a bowl of cereal in the kitchen. Jack found that he wasn't really hungry, so he found that he was merely picking at his food. "Aren't you hungry, sweetheart?" Evelyn asked, a little concerned as she put their brown-bag lunches into their backpacks.

"Yeah. You'll need to have enough energy to face all of the bullies at school." Bobby added with a grin.

"Bobby!" Evelyn snapped, seeing Jack's scared look. "That's enough!"

"Man, that was uncalled for." Jerry muttered. Then, he turned his attention to his youngest brother. "Don't worry, Jack. Bobby didn't mean that. What he means is that you need energy for learning."

"Yeah. No one will bother you." Angel agreed. "And if someone does happen to, just let us know."

Bobby rolled his eyes as he finished off his plate and put it in the sink. Then, he walked into the hall and grabbed his car keys. "Come on, girls, or we'll be late!" he shouted.

"All right. Have a good day, boys." Evelyn said as she took their dishes from them. Then she handed Angel his backpack and gave him a kiss, doing the same to Jerry. When she reached Jack, she gave him a tight hug before she gave him his backpack. "Have fun, dear." she told him, kissing him on the forehead. Then, she sighed and followed them into the hall, taking her oldest son's backpack with her.

"Bobby, you forgot something, love." Evelyn said, extending her arm out in front of her.

The oldest Mercer looked back at what was in her hand, and he grinned. "Who needs _that_ for school, Ma?" he asked, taking the backpack from her. Then, he smiled when he got a kiss from his mother as she ruffled his hair.

"Drive safely, Bobby." Evelyn told him. Then, she looked at Jerry and Angel as well. "Today is Jackie's first day. Keep an eye on him if you can."

"We will, Mom." Angel said, placing his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Come on, kiddo. To the car."

Evelyn watched as her sons got into Bobby's car, Jack in the front passenger seat while Angel and Jerry climbed into the back. Then, they pulled out of the driveway and headed toward school.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"Like a true nature's child.

We were born, born to be wild.

We could climb so high,

I never wanna' die.

Born to be wild.

Born to be wild…"

Bobby was silent as he drove down the busy road, the radio blaring his favorite station. Jerry sat behind him, cringing.

"Man, Bobby! Why do you have to blare this crap?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, Jer." Bobby answered with mock sympathy. "This isn't like your normal opera stuff, is it?"

"Shut up, man." Jerry muttered while Angel laughed next to him. Jack smiled slightly. This was a normal day's conversation for the Mercer brothers…

Bobby grinned as he pulled into the school parking lot… and sped to beat another car to his favorite parking spot. He laughed as the other car honked at him and slowly drove away. "Are you okay, Jackie?" he asked, looking down on his youngest brother.

Jack was sitting in the seat as far back as he could go, his eyes wide from the sudden speeding as he clung tightly to the edge of the seat. Angel and Jerry looked startled, but not in shock like the youngest Mercer. Bobby waited for a moment, and when he didn't get a response, he looked back at his other brothers. "Get the crowbar from the trunk…" he muttered.

"No, that's okay." Jack said, slowly opening the car door and stepping tenderly onto steady ground. "I can get out…"

"Welcome to your first day of school, sweetheart." Bobby told him, locking the car once all of his brothers were out. Then, they walked into the building.

Jack stuck close to Bobby as they walked through the crowded hall, not wanting to leave him. "Man, Jackie. You're acting like this is prison or something." Bobby commented. "I know it's your first day and all, but it's just school."

The youngest Mercer didn't say anything, but he continued to remain close to his brother. Bobby sighed and turned to Angel and Jerry. "You guys get to class." he told them. "I'll take Jack to the office and then help him find his classroom. I'll meet up with you later." Then, he pushed Jack forward. "Come on, Jackie."

Jack glanced back at Angel and Jerry, watching as they waved at him before he disappeared into the crowd with Bobby.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"All right. Here's your classroom." Bobby said, glancing down on his brother after rechecking to make sure they had the right room. "I have to get to my own classes now, but I'll be available whenever you need me. Just ask your teacher to call the office and ask for me, and I'll come. All right?"

Jack looked up at him and nodded, his eyes silently begging him not to alert the teacher that he was there. Bobby gave him a smirk and knocked on the door anyway.

The youngest Mercer cringed, hearing footsteps clicking toward the door. Great. His teacher was a woman…

Then, the door opened, and a young woman with blonde hair and green eyes looked out at them. When she saw Bobby, her eyes widened in what almost looked like horror as she took an automatic step backward. Then, after a moment, she regained herself and gave the sweetest smile that she could muster. "Oh. Mr. Mercer." she said with a small laugh. "How can I help you?"

Bobby looked back at her, knowing that she wasn't happy to see him. Of course, none of the teachers were once he was done in their class. "I see you've changed rooms. But don't worry, Miss Green. I'm not coming back to your class, so you can calm down now." he replied. "I'm here to drop off my little brother, Jack. _He's_ the one in your class."

Miss Green couldn't hide her surprise. Brother? There were _more_?! Bobby was enough. She didn't need _another_ one…

But she didn't let that feeling show through. Instead, she smiled down on Jack as she placed her long-nailed hand gently on his shoulder. "Of course! Come on in, dear!" she exclaimed in a friendly way. "Say hi to your new classmates!"

Jack glanced back at Bobby as he was pulled inside, watching as the oldest Mercer gave him their secret signal for, "I'll keep in touch". Miss Green gave Bobby a disapproving glare as she then closed the door behind them, a little too hard in the oldest Mercer's mind.

After being introduced to the rest of the students, Jack sat in a seat toward the back of the classroom. Next to him sat a larger boy who looked as if he had been in this class more than once before and who wore a mean mask whenever he looked at anyone. Now, he looked Jack over, almost as if sizing him up. "You're a Mercer?" he asked quietly so that that the teacher couldn't hear him.

"Yeah." Jack answered just as quietly, a little nervously. "Why?"

A mad glint appeared in the boy's eyes. "Your brother, Bobby, got my older brother expelled." he replied angrily. "It should have been your brother that got kicked out, not mine. I was going to figure out a way to get back at Bobby, but another way just presented itself." 

Miss Green then looked over her shoulder away from the dry-erase board. "Eric, please stop talking." she said. "I know that you want to make Jack feel welcome, but please find another time to do that."

"Oh, don't worry, Miss Green." Eric muttered, looking at Jack with a smirk on his face. "I'll make him feel welcome later."

Jack shrunk down in his seat, trying to escape from the boy's dark gaze. He looked desperately around for some sort of escape route, but he didn't find any. Soon, Jack was beginning to wonder if he would simply survive the day.

**A/N**: Hope you liked it! As I said, it was originally going to be a one-shot, but it turned out to be too long. I just had to throw some of the lyrics to "Born to be Wild" in there! I was listening to that song when I wrote part of this chapter, and it just reminded me so much of Bobby. I couldn't resist! Anyway, reviews are very much appreciated! Thanks a bunch! Talk to you all later!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: Jack, Bobby, Jerry, and Angel are not mine. Sorry. Lol!

**A/N**: Hey! I'm glad you guys liked chapter one! This is turning out to be longer than I thought, so it will be a total of three chapters. Then, you guys have "A Night Alone" to look forward to! I had an awesome time seeing David Copperfield! If you guys ever get the chance to see him, take it. It's worth it! It was just incredible! Anyway, here's chapter two. Chapter three will be on shortly. Hope you enjoy it! Sorry the music lyrics at the beginning are short, but I divided the words of the chorus up for chapters 2 and 3. Enjoy it anyway!

"Don't you want somebody to love?

Don't you need somebody to love?"

Jack hurried into the cafeteria when it was time for lunch, wanting to get away from the classroom as soon as he could. He looked around, wondering where he could go to avoid Eric when he seemed to be everywhere. The youngest Mercer gasped when he saw him at the table nearest him, talking and laughing with two other boys that looked like they were at the high school level. Before they could see him, he quickly ducked into the crowd.

There was one thing that Jack hated about being new, and he knew that this was it. He didn't know who to sit with, if there was anyone at all. He knew no one. Suddenly, a glimmer of hope appeared. At a table near him, he saw Bobby eating with one of his friends, talking loudly and laughing. Jack immediately walked over to the table, sitting in the small, empty space on the end of the table next to his oldest brother.

"What the hell, Jackie?" Bobby said in surprise, looking down at his brother. "Why are you trying to fit into that small of a space? You're skinny, but I don't think even you can sit there comfortably."

"No reason." Jack muttered, squeezing in as close to Bobby as he could get. The warmth coming from the oldest Mercer felt comforting to him.

Bobby was confused, a little embarrassed that Jack was doing this in front of his friends. "Instead of snuggling up to me, why don't you sit across the table from me?" he suggested. "Look at all of that room over there!"

"No. That's all right." Jack said quietly. "I'm fine." If he moved over to the other side of the table, he would be all the more closer to Eric, which he wanted to avoid at all costs.

Before Bobby could protest, Jerry and Angel came to the table and sat down where all of the space had previously been. "Hey, Jackie has this lunch too?" the younger of the two asked. "That's great!"

"Yeah." Bobby muttered, watching curiously as Jack continued to move as close as possible to hi while he ate. He knew something was wrong, but he didn't know what. 'Jackie…' he thought to himself when it dawned on him. 'What are you afraid of?'

xxxxxxxxxx

When lunch ended, Jack slowly got to his feet, felling slightly cramped from sitting so near to his older brother. Bobby slowly got up as well, silently looking at Jack as he stood by himself, not really looking at anyone. Jerry then walked over to the young boy and placed his hand on his shoulder, smiling warmly as he looked up at him. "So, how's your first day of school going, kiddo?" he asked.

Jack shrugged. "All right…" he answered without much enthusiasm. "I guess…"

Jerry looked at him with a tad bit of worry. "Is there something that you want to talk about?" he said.

The youngest Mercer looked past his older brother, his eyes turning fearful as they landed on Eric. The larger boy gave him an almost evil smirk as he threw his garbage away and walked out of the cafeteria. "No." Jack finally muttered, slowly walking toward the door. "I'm all right…"

Jerry watched him, only looking away when Angel joined him. "You okay, man?" the younger Mercer greeted.

"Fine." Jerry replied. "But I think something's wrong with Jackie. Something just doesn't feel right to me…"

Angel looked at his younger brother for a minute, then smiled. "Bobby told me that he has one of his previous teachers. That can't be too enjoyable." he told him. "I wouldn't worry about it. If something was truly wrong, he would tell us."

"If you say so…"

Bobby was walking through the doors of the cafeteria the same time Jack was, and he was startled when the younger boy stuck close to him, seeming to follow him. "Jackie, what the hell are you doing?" he hissed in a whisper. "Get to class!"

Jack looked up at his brother, an unreadable expression on his face. "Bobby, can I go to your classes with you?" he asked softly, almost desperately.

The oldest Mercer was shocked by this question. "No, Jack. You have to go to your own class." Bobby answered. "Why do you want to go with me anyway? My classes are boring!"

"No reason. Never mind…" Jack muttered, downcast as he walked away from his brother. "I'll see you later, Bobby…"

Bobby watched Jack disappear into the crowd with worry, wondering what was happening. Jack was acting very strange… Then, he quickly hurried back toward the cafeteria, hoping to catch his other brothers.

Jerry and Angel were just leaving as Bobby came back, and they were instantly nervous when they saw that he had been running. "Bobby, what's wrong?" Angel asked. "You're making me nervous, man…"

"I think there's something wrong with Jack." Bobby answered, looking from one of his brothers to the other.

Jerry sighed. "You noticed it too?" he said quietly.

"Yeah." Bobby muttered, confused. "So, I'm not the only one that he appears to be acting strangely to, huh?"

"Do you know what's wrong?" Angel wondered. "Has he said anything?"

"No." Bobby replied heavily. "But he just asked me if he could go to my classes with me. My guess is that he doesn't want to go back to his own. Something must be wrong there."

"Doesn't he have one of your old teachers?" Jerry asked.

Bobby nodded in answer, his expression angry. "If she's not treating him right…" he muttered in an almost threatening way.

"I don't think a teacher would be cruel to him, Bobby," Angel said. "even though he _is_ your brother. It almost seems to be a curse to be related to you."

Then, the three brothers jumped when a loud noise echoed throughout the empty hallway. It was the bell.

"Damn it!" Jerry exclaimed. "We're late to class!" He had never been late before… never.

"I'm sorry if this puts a mark on your record, Jer," Bobby told him without feeling, "but this is for Jack. What matters to you more, your attendance or your little brother?"

Jerry looked at Bobby with disbelief. "Do I _really_ have to answer that, man?" he said. "Of _course_ Jackie's more important to me! I just don't like the idea of missing class…"

Bobby shook his head in annoyance. "All right, girls. We'll keep an eye on Jack's classroom, but we can't get caught." he told his brothers. "Divide up if you have to, but no matter what, keep an eye on it. Let's go!"

Xxxxxxxxxx

Jack sighed and set his pencil down, having finished his worksheet. He glanced around, seeing that Eric was still working. Good. That meant that he was distracted. Not being able to calm down the anxiety rising within him, he got to his feet and walked to the teacher's desk in the front of the room to hand in his worksheet. He was also going to ask if he could possibly change seats.

When she heard him approach, Miss Green looked away from her computer, almost in an annoyed manner. "What?" she asked, not in the friendliest way.

The youngest Mercer slowly set down his worksheet and merely looked at his teacher, not sure if he wanted to mention it anymore. "I was just wondering if I could…" Jack began, but stopped when Miss Green raised her hand to stop him.

"Jack, the school day's going to end in a couple of minutes." she said. "Go sit down. Whatever it is can wait until tomorrow."

Jack sighed and slowly walked back to his seat, trying to ignore Eric as much as possible. But the bigger boy had other plans.

"Mercer, tell me the rest of these answers." he muttered, holding out his almost blank paper.

Jack inwardly cringed, trying to act like he hadn't heard him. If he ignored him, nothing could happen.

Eric grew angry. "Mercer! Give me the answers!" he hissed in a forceful whisper so the teacher couldn't hear him.

Before either one of them could say anything more, the final bell rang. Jack sprang to his feet and rushed out the door with the other kids, not really hearing Miss Green wish them a good rest of the day. There was only one thing on his mind: he _had_ to get to Bobby… Jerry… Angel… then, he would be safe.

Eric was after him in a flash. He kept the young boy in his sights and followed him as he weaved through the halls, wondering where he was going in such a hurry.

Suddenly, he stopped when he saw an older boy come around the corner and in his direction, one that he knew very well. Bobby Mercer. He smiled and called out Jack's name when he saw him, and Eric knew that there wasn't any way he could do anything now. Instead, he slunk back into the crowded hall.

Jack's heart leapt when he heard his name over the mass of the students' chatter, and Bobby appeared in the hall like a beacon of light through a dense fog. He hurried forward, clinging to him as soon as he reached him. Finally, he felt safe and protected with his older brother.

Bobby immediately knew now that something was definitely wrong. He and Jerry had been right, but even though they had staked out the classroom, they hadn't found anything that could have been scaring him. He placed a sturdy hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. "Are you all right, Jackie?" he asked.

The youngest Mercer didn't raise his gaze to meet Bobby's eyes. He just wanted to keep his eyes closed, hopefully being able to hide from Eric that way. "Bobby… I don't want to come back to school tomorrow." Jack finally whispered.

Bobby looked sadly down on his brother. What had scared him so much that he didn't want to come back? Then, he looked up when he heard their two other brothers approach, both wearing identical serious expressions. "We saw a boy following pretty close to Jack, then hurry away when he saw you." Jerry reported.

"Okay." Bobby muttered, nodding thoughtfully. Then, he turned his attention to his youngest brother. "Jack, is there someone giving you a hard time?" he said.

Jack was silent for a moment, but then shook his head. He was too scared to say anything, and he didn't want Bobby to get involved.

The older Mercer sighed, then knelt down in front of him so that he could be eye level with him. Jack closed his eyes and turned away. "Look at me, Jack." Bobby said. "I know that something's wrong, and I wish you would trust me."

He waited patiently, watching as Jack ever so slowly turned to face him, a confused expression on his face. Bobby gave him a small smile, one of the actual true smiles he gave instead of his playful smirks. "We may not be bound by blood, Jackie, but our bond runs deeper." he muttered. "We're brothers."

When Jack heard these words, tears formed in his eyes as he tried to keep from crying. Bobby gently pulled him into a hug, rubbing his hand on his back as he continued to cry into his shoulder. He looked up at Jerry and Angel, and he immediately knew that they were thinking the same thing he was. Whoever had made their youngest brother this upset was going to pay for it.

**A/N**: Well, hope you liked it! I'll try to get chapter three on as soon as possible, then I'll start "A Night Alone". Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: The Mercer brothers are still not mine, but Eric is.

**A/N**: Omg, this is turning out longer than I thought it would be! It's going to be four parts, not three parts, so no one be too disappointed! Lol. Anyway, I've had a really hectic night, so hopefully this will make me feel better. A convict was found near our house when he was on the run from the police, so it was very interesting. No one got hurt, except for a cop was shot dead when he pulled this illegal alien over. They eventually found him in a parking lot two driveways away from our apartment complex. Scary stuff… Anyway, I'm fine, my mom is fine, and I'm ready to update. Enjoy!

"Wouldn't you love somebody to love?

You'd better find somebody to love…"

"Eric Smith." Bobby muttered as he drove down the road. "I knew his brother, John. That was a few years ago, though…"

Jerry leaned forward in his seat. "Wasn't that the kid that kept threatening you?" he asked.

"Yeah." Bobby answered, shocking Angel. "Remember all of those notes that he gave me, Jer? I tried to hide them, but Ma kept finding them? Well, I might as well tell the whole story now…

"John and I were in the same class in our freshman year of high school. This was before either you or Jack were here, Angel. Anyway, the two of us never really got along. We had similar personalities and we would always clash, but we never fought. Then, one day, I walked in on him and another kid talking in hushed tones. The kid was giving him money, and I overheard him say that he would give him the drugs on the weekend. I guess he sold drugs to a lot of people. That's when he realized that I was there. When I saw the pure hatred on his face, I just ran without looking back.

"That's when the threatening notes began. They all said pretty much the same thing: If I told anyone about what I had overheard, he would kill me. I tried to hide them from Ma because I didn't want to worry her, but I guess she found them later. I never really kept tabs on them, which now I'm glad about. The only one I showed the notes to was Jerry.

"This went on for about two months, and I didn't say anything. Then, one day, I guess the pressure of the situation got to him and he snapped because he suddenly began to fight with me after school. He got a few hits on me, and I had to do something to defend myself since he was bigger than I was. I threw a couple punches back, but not many because I knew that I would get into more trouble if I really fought back. I didn't want that to happen, because I didn't want Ma on my ass. Anyway, I could barely stand by the time the teachers got there, but before they could separate us, he grabbed me and slammed me hard into the locker behind me. I think that was about the time I blacked out, right, Jer?"

Jerry nodded from the back seat, and Angel and Jack were shocked. They had always looked up to Bobby as being the leader, strong and invincible. Now, he was saying that another kid got the best of him?

"When I woke up, I was in Ma's car on the way to the hospital." Bobby continued. "Jerry was with us, even though he should have been staying in school. I had to stay in the emergency room for the whole night so that they could make sure that I didn't have any serious damage."

"One of the scariest nights of my life…" Jerry muttered, shaking his head.

The oldest Mercer laughed a little. "Ma and Jerry stayed with me of course." Bobby went on. "I would wake up in the middle of the night continuously because something hurt, and Jerry would be sleeping in one of the chairs while Ma would be awake, ready to comfort me back into sleep. It was a very long night for all of us. I remember Jer telling me later that he thought I was going to die."

"I was twelve, man!" Jerry protested in defense. "What would _you_ be thinking if you saw _your_ older brother, who you thought was invincible, lying unconscious in a hospital bed?"

"Anyway, it turned out that nothing was seriously wrong with me." Bobby explained. "I had no internal damage, and I could be released whenever Ma said so. The thing I was happy about was that John had needed a doctor as well since I ended up breaking his nose and he broke a couple fingers since he punched my book instead of me. It just turned out that I was in worse shape than he was.

"But when I woke up late in the morning the next day, Ma wasn't there. Jerry told me that she had to leave because the school called, telling her that they were going to expel John… and me.

"I was obviously horrified. I'd been expelled from schools before, but I had made a promise to Ma, telling her that I wouldn't be kicked out of this one. So, Jerry got my clothes for me and we escaped from the hospital, heading toward the school as fast as we could. I couldn't believe that we hadn't gotten caught. If the school was any farther away from the hospital than it is, than we probably would have. But when we got to the school parking lot, we saw that Ma's car was already there.

"Jerry and I rushed into the school and went to the office, seeing that Ma was already talking to the principal. She was horrified to see me out of the hospital to say the least, but she continued to argue with the principal to try to convince him that he shouldn't expel me. He was convinced that he should, but then Ma pulled out the notes, the one with the threats on them that I had been trying to hide, and she showed them to the principal. After that, he finally forced the situation with the drugs out of me and he finally made the decision that he would only expel John and not me. I guess now Eric thinks that it was my fault and I should have been expelled, and he's going to use you to get back at me."

Jack nodded slowly, his expression scared. He couldn't believe that Eric's older brother had hurt Bobby so much…

Bobby smiled at him in a reassuring way. "Jackie, listen to me." he said. "I promise you now, that is not going to happen. Understand me? "

The youngest Mercer was startled when he heard his words. For some reason, unknown to him, he believed them…

Jerry was confused as Bobby passed the street that they lived on. "Uh, Bobby," he muttered, looking behind him, "you missed the-!"

"We're not going home, Jer." Bobby interrupted, his face set into a stony expression. "We're going somewhere else first. There's someone we have to pay a visit to."

"You don't mean…" Angel began slowly.

"Yes, Angel. I mean it." Bobby said. "We're going to the Smith's."

xxxxxxxxxx

Eric opened the door when the doorbell rang, and he was shocked when he saw Bobby with Jack next to him. "What do you want, Mercer?" he asked in a spiteful way.

The oldest Mercer looked like he could reach out and hit him, but he contained his anger. "I heard that you were messing with my little brother so you could get back at me." Bobby answered. "Do you want to get back at me, Eric? Well, then get back at me and leave my brother the hell alone!"

Eric was about to reply, but he turned around when footsteps came toward them and a larger person appeared in the doorway. Jack gasped and shrunk back behind Bobby, but he felt slightly better when his older brother placed his hand sturdily on his shoulder.

The person standing in the doorway was bigger than even Bobby, and he had a look of pure hatred on his face when he saw the oldest Mercer. His nose was crooked, as if it had been broken… "What the hell do you want?" he demanded.

Bobby didn't seem to be fazed by him at all, but he tightened his hand on Jack's shoulder when he felt him begin to shake. "Your brother has been trying to get back at me through my brother, John." he replied coolly. "I'm sayin' now that that's not happenin'! I'm here to settle this."

John laughed, which caused Jack to whimper. "You want to fight me, Mercer?" he asked between laughs. "Don't you remember what happened last time? I kicked you sorry ass!"

A vein throbbed in Bobby's temple, but he retained his anger. "That was your first mistake." he answered cockily. "All right. You wanna' settle your revenge on me? Fine. When? Where?"

John thought for a minute. "The courts. Tonight. Nine sharp." he replied. "My brother and I will meet ya' there."

"Fair enough." Bobby said, causing Jack to cling to his arm. "I'll meet you there. Let's go, Jackie."

Jack glanced back at the two people standing in the doorway, cringing under Eric's grin. As he watched the two Mercers climb into their car and start it, Eric turned to look at his older brother. "Can I bring a couple people along?" he asked.

John smirked as he nodded. "Yeah." he answered, looking at the back of Bobby's head as he drove off. "You can bring some people with."

**A/N**: Sounds like trouble to me! Sorry I took a little longer to update, but as I said, last night was hectic. Anyway, I will repeat, I'm fine. So, hopefully I can update the FINAL chapter a little sooner. I swear, this time, it IS the last chapter. I'm going to make it that way. Then, we'll move on to "A Night Alone". Thanks, guys!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: The Mercer brothers and Evelyn aren't mine. It would be cool, but sadly, they are not.

**A/N**: Hey! I'm soooooo sorry that it took me so long to update! It took a long time for me to write this chapter, but fortunately, I'm finally able to get it up. Thanks for your patience! And, if you read this, Whilom, I think there's something in here that you'll find funny. Enjoy the final chapter!

"_Don't you want somebody to love?_

_Don't you need somebody to love?_

_Wouldn't you love somebody to love?_

_You'd better find somebody to love…"_

"All right. Are you ready?"

"Bobby, we're going to get in _so_ much trouble…"

"Shut up, Jer. We have to be quiet. We don't want to be discovered by Ma."

"Yeah, but do we really have to go through the window? It's a long drop…"

"Don't worry, Angel. We'll be fine. We can't use the door since Ma will hear us. Okay, we got everybody? Jack? You here?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Come on. Let's go."

Bobby moved over to the window in his room and lifted it as silently as he could, glancing behind him into the dark hallway to make sure that Evelyn hadn't heard. Then, he quietly climbed up onto the windowsill and jumped down, landing gracefully in the grass. He looked up and gestured for the next person to come down.

Jerry sighed and climbed onto the windowsill, jumping down and landing next to his brother. Angel followed and was steadied by Jerry. Then, they turned their expectant gazes up to the youngest Mercer.

Jack was on the windowsill, looking down at the ground warily. He never really liked heights, and the fall seemed to be farther than it actually was…

"Let's go, Jackie!" Bobby whispered up to him. "Let's go!"

"I… I can't…" Jack muttered, closing his eyes as he clung tightly to the side of the window. "I'm scared, Bobby…"

The oldest Mercer sighed. "Come on, Jack." Bobby said. "I'll catch you."

Jack looked down on him as if he was considering his words. Then, he inched farther out on the ledge, preparing to jump. But before he could, he lost his grip and fell.

Bobby raced forward and caught Jack before he hit the ground. He had been expecting the boy to jump forward, not straight down. It was a relief that he had been able to catch him… Jack shakily got to his feet with support from Bobby, shaken up from the sudden fall. He was relieved when he felt his brother's hand on his shoulder to continue supporting him.

"Everyone ready?" the oldest Mercer asked. When he didn't hear any objections, he started walking away from the house, pulling Jack along behind him.

The four brothers reached the basketball courts five minutes before nine. Jack stood behind Jerry and Angel, beginning to panic. He didn't want to see his oldest brother in a fight, and feeling that Jerry and Angel were also nervous didn't calm him down at all.

Bobby, on the other hand, was pacing almost impatiently as he waited. He kept glancing at his watch, watching as the hand inched closer to the twelve…

A few more minutes passed, and the oldest Mercer finally sighed when his watch struck nine. "They're late." Bobby muttered.

"Bobby, it's only nine now." Jerry said, looking down on his own watch. "I'm sure-!"

His sentence was cut off when someone came up from behind him and kicked him in the back of the knees. Angel watched his brother fall to the blacktop in horror, and then cried out in surprise when he was also roughly pushed down. Jack looked back and saw a couple of the boys that he recognized to be some of Eric's friends. His eyes growing even larger in terror, the youngest Mercer ran up and hugged his oldest brother tightly.

Bobby placed his hands on Jack's shoulders, angered yet shocked to see that Angel and Jerry were being held down on the ground. Where had they come from? "Jerry! Angel!" he shouted. Then, he heard the sound of laughter from behind him.

"You never said anything about bringing anyone other than you and Jack, Mercer!" John called as he walked toward them with Eric next to him.

"That's the thing you should have learned about the Mercers, John! If one goes, we all go!" Bobby replied loudly. "They weren't happy with the shit your brother was giving Jack, so they decided to tag along. But I wouldn't be talking, John. You brought some more people as well."

"They were some of Eric's friends who had nothing else to do tonight." John told him as he stopped a few feet in front of the two brothers. "But we can make a deal now. Your brothers can't get involved and neither will mine and his friends. Agreed?"

Bobby thought about his proposal, looking down and seeing that Jack's wide eyes were fearfully looking back up at him as if to say, "Be careful, Bobby". The oldest Mercer gave him a slight smile as he placed his hand on top of the mass of hair. "I'll be fine, Jackie." Bobby whispered to him. "Now stand back so you don't get hurt."

Jack did as he was told and backed away, and then he watched his brother turn to John and say one word that sent dread coursing through him.

"Agreed."

John grinned as he turned to his younger brother. "Move, Eric!" he snapped as he pushed him aside. "You'll only be in the way!"

Eric glared at Jack, fingering something hidden in his pocket before turning to face his brother. The youngest Mercer moved away from him, and then looked at Bobby with mounting fear.

Then, the brawl began.

John aimed a punch at Bobby's face, but the Mercer blocked it and landed a punch on his jaw. The other boy stumbled back a little, but then he moved forward and tried to kick him. His foot skimmed Bobby's knee, but he elbowed John in the shoulder back. After a few more blows were exchanged, it was clear that Bobby had the upper hand.

"I don't remember you being this tough, Mercer." John commented as he tried to hide his surprise, his fist flying toward Bobby's face.

"Last time, we were in school." Bobby retorted, blocking his blow and punching him forcefully in the stomach. "Last time, you weren't messing with my brother!" This time, the oldest Mercer's fist landed on the side of John's head. John stumbled back a little, but Bobby grabbed onto his arm and pulled him back toward him.

"And _this_ time, I'm gonna break more than your noise!" he finished, landing a forceful blow to John's forehead. The boy fell back and hit the blacktop, unconscious.

Angel and Jerry threw up cheers of approval from behind their oldest brother as Jack ran over to Bobby and hugged him tightly again. Eric looked down on his unconscious brother in horror, something snapping in the back of his mind. He knew this wasn't over yet as he fingered the same object in his pocket…

"It's over, Jackie." Bobby told his youngest brother, getting to his knees in front of him so that he could look him in those big eyes he had. "I'll make sure that no one bothers you again."

Jack nodded in silent response, then threw his arms around Bobby's head in another hug. Bobby smiled a little as he hugged him back.

"Get the hell off me!" Jerry snapped, forcing the boy that had been holding him down in place away as he pulled Angel to his feet. "Come on, man. Let's get Bobby and Jack and head on home."

"Nobody move!"

Bobby looked up and saw with fear that Eric had pulled out a handgun and was aiming it toward him and the youngest Mercer. Something was definitely wrong with this family… Jack let out a terrified whimper and dug his face into Bobby's chest, but Bobby pushed him away and slowly got to his feet with his hands up to show that he meant the boy no harm. Then, he pushed Jack behind him so that he could be out of harm's way.

"Eric, listen to me. Calm down, all right? You don't have to go to this extreme." Bobby muttered as he took a tentative step forward. "Put the gun down…"

"No! I'm finishing what my brother started!" Eric shouted, aiming the gun at Bobby. "I… I-!"

His sentence was cut off when he saw Jack slowly looking out from behind Bobby. The youngest Mercer gasped as their eyes met, and Eric turned the gun on him and fired.

"Jack!" Jerry cried while Angel screamed with a mixture of fear and anger.

But Jack was never hit. The youngest Mercer cautiously opened his eyes when he didn't feel the bullet hit him, and he gasped in horror at what he saw. Bobby had moved to the left just as the gun had been fired to protect him. Jack watched as his oldest brother collapsed to the ground, his hands at his side as he grimaced in pain.

"Bobby!" he screamed, dropping to his brother's side. "Bobby!"

"Stay here, Angel." Jerry commanded quietly, not minding his own safety with the boy with the gun as he rushed forward to be by his brothers. "Come on, Bobby. Hold on, man!" The second oldest Mercer inwardly kicked himself for not taking Bobby's car. He could have driven the oldest Mercer to the emergency room if they had…

Eric looked at the three brothers in horror, taking a few steps back as he dropped the gun. "Oh, God…" he muttered in a panic. "I didn't… I didn't mean to fire the gun. It just… It just happened…"

Suddenly, red and blue lights flared on, signaling that a police car was there. Jerry pulled Jack into his arms as Angel came up to them, and then he held both of them close to him as he looked up to study the scene. Four police cars were parked outside of the basketball courts, and armed policemen were running into the lit up area.

"I'm scared, Jerry." Jack muttered, snuggling closer to him.

"It's all right, Jack." Jerry replied, setting his chin down on top of his mass of hair as he watched Eric and his two friends trying to flee the scene. "We're not going to run because that will help show that we did nothin' wrong."

Jack knew that that was going to be almost impossible. His instinct was telling him to run, that whenever a policeman was around he should run. His father had beaten that lesson into him, and now he was fighting hard to fight that impulse. His squirming must have been noticeable because Jerry's arm tightened around him.

Then, one of the police officers approached them and Jerry got to his feet, setting Angel on the ground but picking up Jack into his arms. "Hello. I'm Jeremiah Mercer. You may know my mother, Evelyn Mercer?" he said, not able to see the officer's face. "Thank you for coming, officer."

The officer nodded. "I know you are, Jerry. I'm Lieutenant Daniel Green." he replied. "We arrived when the gun went off. We actually got a call from Evelyn telling us that her boys had disappeared."

The second oldest Mercer could not believe their luck. He was able to see the dark-skinned man clearly now, and he couldn't believe that he hadn't recognized him sooner. Daniel Green was the father of Thaddeus, one of Bobby's friends whom he played hockey with.

"Please, Daniel." Jerry muttered anxiously. "We need to get Bobby to the hospital. He was the one who was shot."

The worry was evident on the lieutenant's face as he looked down on the barely conscious Mercer. "I'm all right…" Bobby whispered, wincing as he tried to move.

Daniel sighed as he looked around the empty basketball courts, seeing that the three boys and the unconscious John were being led to the squad cars. "Come with me. I'll bring him there myself."

Xxxxxxxxxx

"Robert Mercer." Daniel said to the receptionist in the emergency room. "Eighteen years old. He's the son of a friend of mine who should be arriving shortly, so I don't know much of his medical information."

Jerry was sitting in one of the waiting room chairs, Jack curled up tightly in his arms as close to him as he could get. His eyes were closed tightly as sweat began to appear on his pale face. Angel was next to him, leaning his head against his older brother's shoulder in exhaustion. The oldest of the three brothers knew that this was going to be another long night…

"Jack, calm down, man." Jerry muttered, able to feel the young boy's racing heartbeat against his arm. "We're not even here for you!"

The youngest Mercer didn't answer. He only continued to snuggle closer to Jerry, his breath coming quickly.

"I'm sorry that took so long, boys." Daniel said as he walked over to them and sat down on the other side of Jerry. "They had to put Bobby into surgery immediately to remove the bullet, and they are just now wondering about his medical information. A little late if you ask me. He's already been in there for about twenty minutes, so it shouldn't be too much longer before we'll be able to see him."

Jerry was shocked. It had already been twenty minutes? It sure didn't feel like it! 

Then, the lieutenant looked down on Jack, and his eyes softened in concern when he saw a tear leak out from behind his closed eyes. "Is he all right?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah, Jack will be fine." Jerry answered, running his hand through his youngest brother's mass of hair. "He just doesn't like hospitals."

"I can tell." Daniel muttered, rubbing his hand on the young boy's back. "I just don't want to see two of the Mercer brothers in the hospital tonight."

Jack whimpered a little and curled up a little more upon hearing these words. Jerry sighed when he saw this action. "I think I'll take Jack outside for a little while to get him some air. It looks like he needs it… Could you stay with Angel?"

"Sure." Daniel replied as Jerry stood up with Jack in his arms, sitting in the seat that the Mercer had previously occupied. "I'll let you know when you can see Bobby."

Jerry nodded as he walked toward the door, his shirt getting a little wet from his younger brother's tears. He shifted Jack to one arm as he reached for the door, but he stepped back in surprise when it swung out at him.

"Mom?!"

"Jeremiah!" Evelyn exclaimed, hugging him tightly. "Are you all right?"

"I am." Jerry replied. "But I can't speak for Bobby…"

"I know, dear." Evelyn muttered, successfully hiding her fear from her boys. "I left as soon as Daniel called me."

At the sound of Evelyn's voice, Jack opened his eyes and reached his arms out toward her. Evelyn looked at the young boy sadly and took him from Jerry, holding him close to her. "Mom…" the youngest Mercer muttered, snuggling close to her.

Evelyn couldn't stop her soft gasp of shock. Jack must have been terrified. This was the first time that he had ever called her "mom"…

Then, the doctor that had taken care of Bobby countless times before came into the waiting room with a clipboard in his hand. "Evelyn Mercer?"

"How is he?" Evelyn asked anxiously, rushing over to him as Jack put his arms around her neck.

The doctor nodded to her in recognition as he looked down on the sheet on his clipboard. "The surgery went over well and the bullet has been removed." he answered as he looked back up at her. "Your son was lucky, Miss Evelyn. The bullet missed a couple of vital organs by mere inches. He will be in a lot of pain for a while, but that will be the extent of the damage. He is resting now if you would like to see him."

Evelyn nodded, but turned behind her to the waiting room. She saw that Angel had fallen asleep against the lieutenant and Jerry was trying to hide his own tiredness. She sighed, nodding to the officer. "Would you take the boy's home, Daniel?" she said, handing him her house key. "I'll be home in the morning if you could possibly stay with them."

"Sure, Evelyn." Daniel replied, picking up Angel as he led Jerry toward the door. "Let me know if there's any news on Bobby."

"I will." Evelyn told him, looking down on her youngest son in her arms. "Jackie, do you want to go home or stay with me?"

Jack tightened his arms around the woman's neck and snuggled close to her, his actions answering for him.

"All right." Evelyn whispered as she rubbed his back. "Let's go see your brother."

Xxxxxxxxxx

Bobby slowly opened his eyes and looked around, seeing with irritation that he was in a hospital room. It was dark except for the moonlight coming in through the window. Then, his heart quickened when he saw that something was lying curled up next to him on the bed, recognizing the small form immediately.

"Jack…" Bobby muttered anxiously as he quickly sat up, wincing when his side protested painfully to his sudden movements.

"He's fine. Just sleeping. You can rest easily, love."

The oldest Mercer looked in the direction that the gentle voice had come from, and he saw Evelyn looking back at him with a kind smile on her face. "Ma?" Bobby said quietly as he carefully lowered himself back to his pillow. "What happened?"

"Well, the boys that you met with at the basketball courts all went to jail." Evelyn explained. "You would have gone there too when you were released from the hospital if Daniel hadn't convinced the police force that you were only acting in self defense."

Bobby nodded as he sighed with relief, looking down on Jack's sleeping form. He looked so peaceful while he slept… Evelyn followed his gaze and smiled. "Our little Jackie wouldn't leave your side, even though we're in a hospital. He's really been coming out of his shell when you're around. I think he's growing attached to you."

"You think so, Ma?" Bobby asked. He had grown fond of the boy over the past couple of days.

Evelyn nodded in answer. "I know so. I think he'll be fine in the Mercer household."

Bobby smiled as he looked at his youngest brother again. He ran his hand through his mop of hair, thinking about how much he must have meant to the newest Mercer. Jack had had a hard life before Evelyn had taken him in, which is what had caused him to close up. But he was away from that life now; he was safe. And Bobby was now glad that the young boy had become a part of the Mercer household. After all, everyone needed somebody to love.

**A/N**: Hope you enjoyed it! My next story in this series will be "A Night Alone", which will take place on the weekend after this story happens. Keep an eye out for it! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


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